Controlled Information Transfer Through An In Vivo Nervous System.

The nervous system holds a central position among the major in-body networks. It comprises of cells known as neurons that are responsible to carry messages between different parts of the body and make decisions based on those messages. In this work, further to the extensive theoretical studies, we demonstrate the first controlled information transfer through an in vivo nervous system by modulating digital data from macro-scale devices onto the nervous system of common earthworms and conducting successful transmissions. The results and analysis of our experiments provide a method to model networks of neurons, calculate the channel propagation delay, create their simulation models, indicate optimum parameters such as frequency, amplitude and modulation schemes for such networks, and identify average nerve spikes per input pulse as the nervous information coding scheme. Future studies on neuron characterization and artificial neurons may benefit from the results of our work

Multimodal assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with transmission-reflection optoacoustic ultrasound.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an umbrella term referring to a group of conditions associated to fat deposition and damage of liver tissue. Early detection of fat accumulation is essential to avoid progression of NAFLD to serious pathological stages such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: We exploited the unique capabilities of transmission-reflection optoacoustic ultrasound (TROPUS), which combines the advantages of optical and acoustic contrasts, for an early-stage multi-parametric assessment of NAFLD in mice. Results: The multispectral optoacoustic imaging allowed for spectroscopic differentiation of lipid content, as well as the bio-distributions of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in liver tissues in vivo. The pulse-echo (reflection) ultrasound (US) imaging further provided a valuable anatomical reference whilst transmission US facilitated the mapping of speed of sound changes in lipid-rich regions, which was consistent with the presence of macrovesicular hepatic steatosis in the NAFLD livers examined with ex vivo histological staining. Conclusion: The proposed multimodal approach facilitates quantification of liver abnormalities at early stages using a variety of optical and acoustic contrasts, laying the ground for translating the TROPUS approach toward diagnosis and monitoring NAFLD in patients

Neuroprotective properties of levosimendan in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the neuroprotective properties of levosimendan, a novel inodilator, in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Organotypic hippocampal brain slices from mouse pups were subjected to a focal mechanical trauma. Slices were treated after the injury with three different concentrations of levosimendan (0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 μM) and compared to vehicle-treated slices. After 72 hrs, the trauma was quantified using propidium iodide to mark the injured cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A significant dose-dependent reduction of both total and secondary tissue injury was observed in cells treated with either 0.01 or 0.1 μM levosimendan compared to vehicle-treated slices.</p> <p><b>Conclusion</b></p> <p>Levosimendan represents a promising new pharmacological tool for neuroprotection after brain injury and warrants further investigation in an in vivo model.</p

Aortic coaptation in repair

PubMed: 22315357[No abstract available

The causes of re-operation in the ross procedure

PubMed: 22577096[No abstract available

Quantitative image correction using semi- and fully-automatic segmentation of hybrid optoacoustic and ultrasound images.

Multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) is a fast-developing imaging modality, combining the high contrast from optical tissue excitation with the high resolution and penetration depth of ultrasound detection. Since light is subject to absorption and scattering when travelling through tissue, adequate knowledge of the spatial fluence distribution is required in order to ensure quantification accuracy of MSOT. In order to reduce the systematic errors in spectral recovery due to fluence and to provide a visually more homogeneous image, correction for fluence is commonly performed on reconstructed images using one of the state-of-the-art methods. These require, as input, information on illumination geometry (a priori known from the system design) as well as spatial reference of an object in a form of either a binary map (assuming uniform optical properties), or a label map, in a more complex scenario of multiple regions with different optical properties. In order to generate such a map, manual segmentation is commonly used by delineating the outer border of the mouse body or major organs present in the slice, which is a timeconsuming procedure, not efficient procedure, prone to operator errors. Here we evaluate methods for semiand fully-automatic segmentation of hybrid optoacoustic and ultrasound images and characterize the performance of the methods using quantitative metrics for evaluating medical image segmentation against the ground truth obtained by manual segmentation

Noninvasive multiparametric charac-terization of mammary tumors with transmission-reflection optoacoustic ultrasound.

Development of imaging methods capable of furnishing tumor-specific morphological, functional, and molecular information is paramount for early diagnosis, staging, and treatment of breast cancer. Ultrasound (US) and optoacoustic (OA) imaging methods exhibit excellent traits for tumor imaging in terms of fast imaging speed, ease of use, excellent contrast, and lack of ionizing radiation. Here, we demonstrate simultaneous tomographic whole body imaging of optical absorption, US reflectivity, and speed of sound (SoS) in living mice. In vivo studies of 4T1 breast cancer xenografts models revealed synergistic and complementary value of the hybrid imaging approach for characterizing mammary tumors. While neovasculature surrounding the tumor areas were observed based on the vascular anatomy contrast provided by the OA data, the tumor boundaries could be discerned by segmenting hypoechoic structures in pulse-echo US images. Tumor delineation was further facilitated by enhancing the contrast and spatial resolution of the SoS maps with a full-wave inversion method. The malignant lesions could thus be distinguished from other hypoechoic regions based on the average SoS values. The reported findings corroborate the strong potential of the hybrid imaging approach for advancing cancer research in small animal models and fostering development of new clinical diagnostic approaches